A ring laser gyroscope typically includes a solid block of a dielectric material having a plurality of interconnected passages that are arranged in a closed loop to create a resonant cavity. Reflective surfaces are positioned at the intersection of each of the passages, and a lasing gas is contained within the resonant cavity. Electrical potentials applied to the lasing gas generate counter-propagating laser beams in the resonant cavity. The ring laser gyroscope utilizes interference of the laser beams within the resonant cavity to detect changes in orientation and rate of turn.
Under certain conditions, the laser power of some ring laser gyroscopes may be too noisy or too low to operate effectively. This occurs when more than one polarization mode of the laser beams exists in the resonant cavity of these ring laser gyroscopes.